Suchergebnisse

This article analyzes Sweden's foreign policy 2011–2018. The article is part of a special issue on how the Nordic countries have responded to recent geopolitical change. The international context in which Sweden finds itself has in a number of ways changed drastically during the time of analysis. The foundations of Sweden's foreign policy, however, have seen less change. The Swedish policy adjustments we see are rather the effects of radical change taking place in the previous two decades: the EU membership, the partnership with NATO, and the abandonment of the policy of neutrality. Sweden is thus learning how to adapt to this transformation of its international orientation during a turbulent time in global politics. The article includes an overview of Swedish foreign policy and the literature on the topic. We discuss the major actors, institutions, tools and frameworks in the foreign policy making process. A detailed analysis of the Foreign Minister's Statement of Government Policy provides a temporal comparison over the last decade.

This article begins by examining strategic culture studies, in particular Alan Bloomfield's concept of different sub-cultures in strategic culture. It then focuses on the border between Russia and Finland and how Finnish EU membership was made possible by Finland's decision not to challenge the WWII border treaty with the Soviet Union after the Soviet collapse. Next, it investigates the debates and public opinion relating to Finland's 1994 EU referendum, to see how the dynamics changed three strategic cultural sub-groups: "self-defence", "Westernisers" (including Western international organizations) and "Reassurance and Dialogue with Russia". In conclusion, it is argued that EU membership altered the hierarchy of these strategic culture sub-groups in Finland, as well as their substance. These changes were, however, more evolutionary than revolutionary.

Valget af Trump og Brexit indskriver sig sammen med Ruslands selvhævdende adfærd og Kinas øgede globale rolle i en udvikling, der set med danske udenrigspolitiske øjne opfattes som mere end almindeligt foruroligende: "De tektoniske plader, som dansk udenrigspolitik har hvilet på i mange år, er i bevægelse", skriver Regeringen i sin Udenrigs-og Sikkerhedspolitiske Strategi 2017/18 (Regeringen 2017a). Artiklen belyser på den baggrund den aktuelle debat om, hvordan Danmark kan og skal agere i en verden, der opfattes som stadigt mere usikker og uforudsigelig. Artiklen fokuserer især på spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt der lægges op til en nytænkning eller blot en justering af Danmarks foretrukne udenrigspolitiske virkemidler og institutionelle forankring. Med afsæt i en analyse af de seneste års strategiske udmeldinger og konkrete udenrigspolitiske tiltag identificerer artiklen et stigende modsætningsforhold mellem retorikken og ressourcerne i dansk udenrigspolitik. Skellet mellem det, der italesættes som udenrigspolitisk nødvendigt og det, der opfattes som indenrigspolitisk muligt, vokser, og som følge heraf fremstår det danske svar på de seneste års bekymrende internationale udvikling indtil videre usammenhængende.